Mask for base-ball players.



UNITED sTATEs vPATENT oEErcE.

JOHN GAMBLE, OF PHILADELPHIA, AND EDWIN K. DAVIS, OF MONT CLARE, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO GEORG-E A. REACH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MASK FOR BASE-BALL PLAYERS.

To all whom fit may concern:v

Be it knownthat we, JOHN GAMBLE and EDWIN K. Davis, residing, respectively, at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, and Mont Clare, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Masks for Base-Ball Players, of which the following is a specilication.

Our invention relates to masks for base ball catchers. j

The object of our invention is to produce a wire mask adapted to be worn over the face of a base ball catcher to protect him frominjury', the structure of which is arranged and braced to afford adequate resistance to the force of the impact of a base ball without obstructing the vision of the wearer.

A further object thereof is to produce a wire mask in which novertical longitudinal wire occurs in front of the eyes, thus permitting an unobstructed eye opening without impairing the structural strength thereof, and a still further object thereof is to provide more simple and eflicient details of construction in an article of the class described than has heretofore been produced.

To these ends, our invention includes the combinations and arrangement of component parts to be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a front view of our invention, Fig. 2 is a side view of the saine; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form thereof, and Fig. l is a detail view of a portion thereof showing our preferred manner of uniting the wire members to each other at their intersections.

Our invention includes, generally, a substantially oval shaped main frame of rigid wire adapted to fit around the face of the wearer, a protruding upper and lower wire structure built upon said main frame having an'open and unobstructed space between the said upper and lower frames in front of the eyes of the wearer, said upper and lower frames being united to the main frame and to each other at the sides of the eye opening to form trusses to support same upon the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 31, 1911'.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

serial No. 630,383.

main frame and against displacement from each other at said opening.

Referring now to the drawings, l indicates a substantially oval-shaped main frame of rigid wire, the ends of which are suitably coupled together as by the sleeve 2. The lower portion of the frame is bent outwardly at 3 to accommodate the chin of the wearer.

Carried on the longitudinal sides of the main frame l, we secure the auxiliary longitudinal side frames 4 and which are attached at their ends to the main frame and are bent forward adjacent to their ends to project beyond' the main frame, to protect the sides of the face of the wearer and assist in supporting the upper and lower frames 6 and 7 hereinafter described. Mounted upon said main frame 1 and side frames 4 and 5, we provide an upper frame 6 and lower frame 7 of rigid wire, having an unobstructed opening between same, and united to said main and side frames and to each other to cover and protect the face of the wearer. As shown in the drawings, said woven frames comprise the horizontal wires S and 8 secured at their ends to the main oval frame l adjacent to the upper and lower ends thereof, respectively, which projectforwardly and form substantially semicircles to bridge the space between the longitudinal vertical sides of the main frame. The lower edge of the upper frame 8 is formed by the horizontal wire 9 and they upper edge of the lower frame is formed byA a similar wire i9', both of which also form arches and bridge the space between the longitudinal` sides of the main frame. Said wire members 9 and 9 are spaced apart to provide the horizontal eye opening 10 between the same at the front of the mask without a vertical longitudinal connection at their medial point, which is usually provided to support the upper and lower frames, and to adequately support the upper and lower frames, said members are secured upon the main frame and to each other in the manner hereinafter described. At points on each side of the line of vision of the wearer, said wire members 9 and 9 are bent at an angle fromrv their horizontal planes toward each other and intersect each other at l1 and 1l and also intersect the side frames 4 and 5 intermediate of the intersections with each other and their ends. At each of said intersections strong connections are made between the members, by soldering or other means, our preferred form ot jointure being more clearly shown in Fig. a ot the drawings, and hereinafter more particularly described. It will be apparent that the said arrangement of the wire members 9 and 9 torni triangular trussed supports between the upper and lower trames 6 and 7 outside of the line of vision of the wearer, and rigidly and inseparably unite same on the main trame 1 without an objectionable medial longitudinal support.

The upper and lower frames G and 7 are completed t'or the protection of the face from a ball by the medial ridge members 12 and 12 and intermediate vertical members 18 and 13 which are secured at 'their ends to the arched horizontal members 8 and 8 and 9 and 9, respectively, and to close the mesh and support the frames, they are provided with intermediate arched horizontal members 1st and 14 secured at their ends to the side trames 3 and a, and intermediate of their ends are united to each of the said intermediate vertical members.

In the modified term ot our invention shown in Fig. 3 ot the drawings, the wire members 9 and 9 at their intersections with each other at 15 and 15, are secured by a halt' turn around each other, and the ends thereot' bent backward toward the main trame 1 to which they are attached. The modified structure thus described reverses the points ot attachment of the ends ot said wires from that shown in the lirst embodiment described, but fully preserves the trussed structure for supporting the trames upon each other.

For the purpose of providing reinforcement for the upper and lower trames 6 and 7, we provide stay wires 1G and 17, which as shown. are attached to the corners of the main trame 1 and extend diagonally across 'the faces of said upper and lower trames and are secured intermediate of their ends to the wire members 9 and 9 at their point of juncture with the medial ridge wires 12 and 12', around which they may be looped for attachment, and said stay wires are also attached to such ot the vertical and hori zontal members of the upper and lower trames at their juncture as may be deemed expedient tor structural strength.`

As more particularly shown in Fig. t oi the c rawings, the wire members comprising a frame oit our mask are attached to each other at their several points of intersection by interlocking same by coinciding depressions 18 which torni cooperating seats to prevent the displacement ot' the parts by the torce ot a blow and may be held therein by soldering or brazing or other suitable means.

The structure of our mask, as thus described, may be provided with suitable rear frames 19 or 20, as shown in the drawings, and with convenient face cushions and harness :tor securing same on the head, and it will be appreciated that the parts and combinations herein described may be varied within a wide range without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a mask, the combination with a main trame, of upper and lower frames mounted thereon, having an unobstructed eye opening between same, and means for bracing said upper and lower trames on each other, substantially as described.

2, In a mask, the combination with a main trame, ot upper and lower protruding trames carried thereon, having a transverse opening between same, and interlocking means between same at each side of the direct line of visi-on of the wearer, substantially as described.

3. In a mask, the combination with a main trame, of protruding upper and lower trames of woven wire mounted thereon, having a transverse opening between same, the adjacent members ot said upper and lower Jframe structures being deiiected to intersect each other at each side of said opening intermediate of their attachment on the main trame, substantially as described.

11. In a mask, the combination with a main frame, ot protruding woven wire upper and lower trames, having a transverse Opening between same, said upper and lower trames being interlocked and trussed upon said main trame, and diagonally arranged stays reinforcing same, substantially as described.

In a mask, the combination with a substantially oval-shaped main frame and longitudinal side trames, of arched transverse wire t ames carried thereon having a transverse opening between same, the adjacent members ot said transverse frames being inter-locked and trussed on said main and side trames, substantially as described.

6. In a mask, the combination with a main trame, ot arched woven wire trames mounted thereon having an eye opening therein, the members of said trames having coincide ing depressions at their intersections for uniting same together, substantially as described.

JOHN GAMBLE. ED'WIN K. DAVIS.

lVitnesses ROBERT F. NIXoN, J r., RANDALL E. THOMPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

